Bitcoin news

St. Cloud Financial Credit Union (SCFCU) has surpassed 10 bitcoin held for members through its CU-Digital Asset Vault, a new custody service launched weeks ago. The credit union now safeguards over 12.6 BTC, along with ether and USDC, for its 28,000 members, reflecting individual adoption within a trusted financial institution. The hybrid self-custody model allows members to retain control while using integrated infrastructure. SCFCU plans to expand access to businesses and explore bitcoin-enabled payments and lending, aiming to integrate digital assets more deeply into everyday banking.

The corporate Bitcoin treasury boom is losing momentum, with a $100 billion public-company bet shrinking as buying has collapsed outside of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy). Data shows Strategy purchased about 45,000 Bitcoin in the last 30 days, while all other companies combined bought only 1,000 Bitcoin, down 99% from their peak in August 2025. Strategy now accounts for 98% of Bitcoin bought by treasury firms in the past month, holding 76% of all corporate Bitcoin holdings. The slowdown reflects a broader decline in demand, with fewer companies participating and deploying less capital, as the financing model tied to rising Bitcoin prices and equity premiums has weakened amid falling prices and market stress.

Fannie Mae will accept bitcoin and USDC as collateral for mortgages in a U.S. first, partnering with Better Home & Finance and Coinbase. Borrowers can pledge crypto without selling holdings, with Coinbase Prime providing custody. Trust Wallet launched AI agents that automate crypto trades across 25+ blockchains, including cross-chain swaps. Users can choose autonomous or approval-based agents, reflecting industry AI integration trends. Bitcoin miner MARA sold 15,133 BTC for $1.1 billion to repurchase convertible notes, reducing debt by 30%. The sale follows a policy shift allowing treasury disposals to fund expansion into digital energy and AI infrastructure. JPMorgan analysts noted bitcoin showed safe-haven-like demand during the Iran war, with inflows while gold and silver weakened. Crypto usage surged in Iran for capital movement amid currency instability and geopolitical stress. Elon Musk hired former Base and Aave executive Benji Taylor to lead design at X, aligning with its push into financial services. X is developing X Money payments system targeting a 2026 launch.

JPMorgan analysts report that bitcoin has demonstrated safe-haven-like demand during the Iran war, outperforming gold and silver. While precious metals saw sharp outflows and price declines, bitcoin experienced net inflows and stable institutional positioning. Crypto activity surged in Iran as citizens moved funds to self-custody wallets and international platforms, highlighting bitcoin's role during economic instability. Bitcoin's momentum signals have been recovering, while gold and silver faced forced liquidations and deteriorating liquidity conditions.

Bitcoin is showing more resilience than traditional safe-haven assets like gold and silver, according to a JPMorgan report. Gold and silver have faced significant outflows from ETFs, positioning unwinds, and deteriorating liquidity conditions, leading to price declines. In contrast, bitcoin funds have continued to attract net inflows, with futures positioning remaining stable and momentum recovering from oversold levels. Bitcoin's market breadth has now surpassed gold's, reversing the typical relationship, as the cryptocurrency stabilizes in the high-$60,000 to low-$70,000 range.

Coinbase has partnered with Better Home & Finance to launch a mortgage structure allowing qualified borrowers to pledge digital assets from Coinbase accounts for down payments on Fannie Mae-conforming loans. This marks a shift toward using crypto more directly in U.S. housing finance, following recent regulatory moves to integrate crypto into mortgage frameworks. The setup involves a standard mortgage with a separate loan secured by crypto for the down payment, letting buyers retain crypto exposure but adding debt. While market volatility doesn't trigger margin calls if payments are made, borrowers face risks like locked collateral and potential financial exposure from price swings. This development builds on other lenders like Newrez and Rate incorporating crypto into underwriting, though some still require conversion to cash for payments. Former Congressman Tim Ryan highlighted crypto's potential to help with down payments, addressing affordability challenges in a market where average home prices exceed $405,000.

MARA Holdings sold over $1 billion worth of Bitcoin in March to repurchase convertible debt at a 9% discount, saving about $88 million. The company stated this move enhances its financial flexibility as it expands beyond Bitcoin mining into digital energy and AI infrastructure. The news boosted MARA's share price by over 12% in premarket trading. This follows a broader trend among crypto miners like Bitdeer and Canaan shifting toward more stable revenue streams in AI and high-performance computing.

Morgan Stanley is preparing to launch its own spot Bitcoin ETF, the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), with a listing notice posted by the NYSE indicating an imminent start to trading. This move would mark a shift from the bank distributing third-party Bitcoin products to issuing its own, leveraging its vast wealth management platform with $8 trillion in client assets and 16,000 financial advisers. The ETF could see significant demand due to Morgan Stanley's existing framework for Bitcoin allocations, ranging from 0% to 4% in client portfolios, potentially translating to billions in assets. It positions Bitcoin within conventional portfolio strategies, integrating it into the bank's wealth management ecosystem and competing with established funds like BlackRock's IBIT, which charges a 0.25% fee, with expectations that MSBT will price similarly to attract adoption.

Coinbase is partnering with Better Home & Finance to offer crypto-backed mortgages backed by Fannie Mae, allowing borrowers to pledge Bitcoin or USDC as collateral for down payments without selling their holdings. This aims to help asset-rich but cash-poor Americans access homeownership while avoiding capital gains taxes. The loans are structured as conforming mortgages with standard foreclosure protections, though interest rates are slightly higher than traditional mortgages. The product targets younger generations who increasingly hold digital assets as wealth, reflecting shifting financial patterns in the housing market.

MARA Holdings sold 15,133 bitcoin for approximately $1.1 billion and used the proceeds to repurchase convertible notes due in 2030 and 2031. The sales occurred between March 4 and March 25, following a policy revision that allowed the bitcoin miner to sell from its balance sheet holdings. The company said the transaction captured $88.1 million in cash savings and enhances financial flexibility as it expands beyond bitcoin mining. MARA posted a net loss of $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter, driven by a decline in bitcoin's price.